<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago’s</a> Democratic mayor has announced a partnership with a far-left non-profit to advance his proposal of a government-owned grocery store, which he argues is needed for the sake of “racial justice.&#8221;
Mayor Brandon Johnson <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2023/september/MayorJohnsonAnnouncesTheExplorationOfAMunicipallyOwnedGroceryStore.html#:~:text=A%20City%2Downed%20grocery%20store,retail%20reaches%20beyond%20food%20access." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release this month that the city-owned grocery store &#8212; which would be the largest of its kind in the U.S. &#8212; is needed to address the exit of corporate grocery stores and promote &#8220;food equity.&#8221;
&#8220;[F]ood access and security link directly to environmental and racial justice,&#8221; Johnson&#8217;s office said in a press release, adding that &#8220;37% of Black residents and 29% of Latine/x residents are food insecure, compared to 19% of residents overall.&#8221;
The mayor&#8217;s office argued that &#8220;historic disinvestment has led to inequitable access to food retail across Chicago,&#8221; and noted that &#8220;existing inequities have been exacerbated as at least six grocery stores closed on the South and West sides over the past two years.&#8221;
Indeed, as Chicago continues to reel with violent crime and large-scale theft, corporate grocery stores like Walmart and Amazon-owned Whole Foods have recently packed up and left Chicago.
Walmart announced the closure of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-closes-four-stores-in-chicago-amid-elevated-crime-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four stores</a> in Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods back in April, and said it was due to a lack of profitability going back 17 years when the company first opened in Chicago. &#8220;These stores lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2023/04/11/walmart-announces-closure-of-four-chicago-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doubled</a> in just the last five years,&#8221; the press release said.
The statement did not specifically mention shoplifting, which has <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/18/chicago-mayor-considers-creating-city-owned-grocery-stores/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jumped</a> in Chicago by 25% over just the last year. However, Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon did <a href="https://www.smashdatopic.com/walmart-to-close-stores-if-theft-doesnt-decrease/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn</a> last year that if shoplifting across the country didn’t slow down, he&#8217;d have to shut down some stores.
Johnson has promoted a community safety team to try to tackle crime, but that, so far, has been unsuccessful. He&#8217;s even resorted to suing car companies because of the outrageous auto thefts in the city &#8212; a move <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thieves-steal-cars-then-commit-armed-robberies-yet-its-the-cars-fault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily criticized</a>.
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The city has yet to provide an exact estimate for the price tag of something like a city-owned grocery store, but it is notable that the mayor announced just this month that the city is projecting a deficit of <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-budget-shortfall-property-taxes-brandon-johnson/13779337/#:~:text=CHICAGO%20(WLS)%20%2D%2D%20The%20city,also%20contributing%20to%20the%20problem." target="_blank" rel="noopener">$538 million dollars</a> for this upcoming fiscal year. 
The mayor’s chief of policy, Umi Grisby, has claimed that this project won’t use taxpayer dollars, though she admitted the city would use state and federal funding.
“We are not spending any taxpayer dollars, right?&#8221; she <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/chicago-mayor-explores-opening-a-city-owned-grocery-store-in-food-deserts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS Chicago. &#8220;What we’re also going to be able to access is the funding that exists at the national level and the state level.”
Moreover, the mayor’s office has already acknowledged that this project, if completed, will also use economic grant money, which, too, comes from taxpayers. 
Critics have said this grocery store proposal is akin to “<a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/19/chicago-mayor-grocery-stores-scam-is-a-lefty-crime-smokescreen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soviet-style central planning</a>.” Detractors have also highlighted the city’s penchant for corruption and the city&#8217;s half-a-billion dollar deficit to question how the store could be efficient. There are also still questions about how prices would be set, how this would be superior to private grocery stores, and how it would affect private enterprise.

Brandon Johnson

Democratic Mayor Proposes Government-Owned Grocery Store For ‘Racial Justice’

Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Proposes Government-Owned Grocery Store For ‘Racial Justice’ 

Chicago

Food

General

U.S.

The leftist mayor of Chicago, jumping on the bandwagon a little late, is blaming automakers for car theft in Chicago, filing suit against Hyundai and Kia and accusing them of fostering a &#8220;steep rise&#8221; in crime.
Last week, United States District Judge James V. Selna, ruling in a class action suit brought against Kia and Hyundai that accused them of failing to equip certain models with an engine immobilizer, denied the parties’ request for <a href="https://www.classaction.org/blog/from-talks-to-checks-the-stages-of-a-class-action-settlement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preliminary approval</a> of a $145 million settlement reached only days before. He directed the parties to change the agreement to “fashion a matrix for reimbursement that aligns with each Class Member&#8217;s vehicle’s estimated value, rather than taking an average of all vehicles and reducing it by 40%.” He told the parties involved to demonstrate how the technology works, its pitfalls and possible solutions.
Now Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city are filing suit against Kia and Hyundai, claiming they did not include &#8220;industry-standard engine immobilizers&#8221; in some of their cars, prompting a &#8220;steep rise&#8221; in crime.
“The impact of car theft on Chicago residents can be deeply destabilizing, particularly for low- to middle-income workers who have fewer options for getting to work and taking care of their families,” Johnson declared. “The failure of Kia and Hyundai to install basic auto-theft prevention technology in these models is sheer negligence, and as a result, a citywide and nationwide crime spree around automobile theft has been unfolding right before our eyes.”
&#8220;Because these vehicles are entry-level models, Kia’s and Hyundai’s failure to include engine immobilizers disproportionately impacts low-income Chicago residents. Moreover, offenders have used stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles to commit other crimes, including reckless driving, armed robbery, and murder,&#8221; Johnson’s office added.
“In 2023, thefts of Kia and Hyundai cars compromise over half of all Chicago car thefts in 2023,” Fox News <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-sues-automakers-car-theft-crisis-gets-worse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
A spokesperson for Hyundai stated, &#8220;Hyundai is committed to the comprehensive actions we are undertaking to assist customers and communities affected by the persistent theft of certain vehicles not equipped with push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers.  Our dealers across the country are maximizing the number of anti-theft software installations that can be performed on a daily basis, contributing to steadily increasing completion rates, which we report to NHTSA weekly.&#8221;

2023 Lollapalooza Festival

Leftist Chicago Mayor Blames Automakers For Rise In Car Theft, Files Lawsuit

Auto Companies

Car Theft

Lawsuit

Chicago&#8217;s new Mayor Brandon Johnson might actually be worse than his predecessor Lori Lightfoot. At least she provided <a href="https://twitter.com/TimJDillon/status/1437832101143867393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1437832101143867393%7Ctwgr%5E4a2d104686d73b1809ed6d7eb5718ee13f169e1b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdailycaller.com%2F2021%2F10%2F08%2Ftim-dillon-lori-lightfoot-yelp-segment%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comic relief</a> as the city went into decay. With Johnson, all you get is a lecture about the importance of policing speech, not the streets.
The latest chastisement from Johnson came on Thursday when he reprimanded a reporter who used the word &#8220;mob&#8221; to describe, well, a mob of teenagers looting a local convenient store last weekend.
&#8220;That’s not appropriate. We’re not talking about mob actions,&#8221; Johnson said about those who called it a &#8220;mob.&#8221; &#8220;We have to be careful when we use language to describe certain behavior. There’s a history in this city, and, I mean, to refer to children as like baby Al Capones is not appropriate.&#8221;
Instead, he encouraged us all to say &#8220;large gatherings.&#8221;
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson minimizes mass looting over the weekend
He scolds a reporter for using the term “mob” and says we should instead call them “large gatherings” <a href="https://t.co/fXGY3MgcKV">pic.twitter.com/fXGY3MgcKV</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1687159177104277507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It&#8217;s not the first time that Johnson has been angry with how the media talks about such violence.
After one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bedlam-as-hundreds-of-teenagers-inundate-downtown-chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April weekend</a> during which throngs of teenagers rampaged in the streets, jumped on cars, and beat up at least one innocent couple, the Chicago mayor blamed government leaders for &#8220;disinvestment&#8221; and compared the behavior to his young child jumping down the flight of stairs.
He told the press that it “is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
&#8220;Have you ever taught middle school? I have,” Johnson <a href="https://news.grabien.com/story-chicago-mayor-elect-defends-looters-demonizing-children-is-wrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>. “Have you ever raised young people? Do you understand the risk that young people take just because they’re young? Do you know that home plate is at the bottom of my stairs? I found that out when my son was sliding down those stairs trying to score.”
He went on to say that youngsters “make silly decisions! They do. So we have to make sure that we are investing to make sure that young people know that they are supported.”
Here&#8217;s what all that &#8220;silliness&#8221; looked like: 
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🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Chaotic Scene Unfolds in Downtown Chicago as Teenagers Vandalize Cars and Gunfire Erupts 
📌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chicago?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chicago</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illinois?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illinois</a> ⁰ There is currently a significant police response taking place in downtown Chicago due to a large group of teenagers causing chaos. They have been… <a href="https://t.co/n7xhBpsTKs">pic.twitter.com/n7xhBpsTKs</a>
&mdash; R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1647457314494971910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As for this latest looting, Johnson appeared to be dismayed that Chicago police arrested individuals.
Police reportedly provided warnings before taking action — something he admits is abnormal.
“That’s a unique approach. You know, many people expect us to treat people undignified. My administration is different,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, arrests were made. Unfortunately, some damage was caused. And the level of sensitivity and patience that our officers expressed, I’m appreciative of that. That is constitutional. That is a system of care.” (emphasis added)
Unfortunately? The follow-up <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/nearly-40-minors-arrested-disorderly-gathering-looting-chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">question should</a> have been about why only 40 individuals out of nearly 400 were arrested. Of course, the answer is likely because cops were directed not to arrest these individuals in the name of equity and restorative justice.
But, if you&#8217;re a journalist who does decide to ask Johnson about the lawlessness and lack of support for police, be careful how you phrase it — you&#8217;re likely going to get a stern talking-to about your word choices rather than a straightforward response from the Windy City mayor.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 3: City of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson introduces Billie Eilish during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 3, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Mayor Stays Focused On Policing Speech, Not The Streets

Liberalism

Political Correctness

Large groups of teenagers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pure-chaos-chicago-neighborhood-terrified-as-hundreds-of-rowdy-teens-shut-down-street-for-hours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gathered</a> in the streets of Chicago multiple times over the summer for coordinated “teen takeovers” that often turn violent — but leftist Mayor Brandon Johnson is concerned about people calling the groups a “mob.” 
Johnson, who was elected earlier this year, bragged about his “unique approach” to reaching Chicago’s youth as the city faces a wave of issues resulting from teenage crowds hitting the streets. After another “teen takeover” last weekend, Chicago police arrested 40 youths who were fighting and looting a convenience store, The Chicago Tribune <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mayor-brandon-johnson-defends-response-to-teen-gatherings-migrant-crisis-my-administration-is-different/ar-AA1eI08I" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. At a news conference Wednesday, Johnson said he ordered the arrests and was proud of the officers&#8217; &#8220;sensitivity and patience&#8221; when dealing with the teens.
Police “attempted to engage with our young people, with community partners, giving as much warning as they possibly could,” Johnson said. 
“That’s a unique approach. You know, many people expect us to treat people undignified. My administration is different,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, arrests were made. Unfortunately, some damage was caused. And the level of sensitivity and patience that our officers expressed, I’m appreciative of that. That is constitutional. That is a system of care.”
Johnson then complained that the rowdy teenagers were referred to as a “mob.” 
“That’s not appropriate. We’re not talking about mob actions,” Johnson said. “We have to be careful when we use language to describe certain behavior. There’s a history in this city, and, I mean, to refer to children as like baby Al Capones is not appropriate.”
Teenagers have gathered on <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-flash-mob-teen-takeover-gas-station-news/13409590/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numerous</a> <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/week-in-review-chicago-teen-mob-gas-station-fight-facebook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occasions</a> in the city over the spring and summer, looting stores and jumping on parked vehicles. The gatherings are mostly orchestrated over social media. 
In June, hundreds of teens shut down a main street in the Lakeview neighborhood for six hours, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. One resident told WGN that she called 911 but was told “there was nothing they could do.”
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“They were so overwhelmed at the moment that there were just way too many calls coming in,” the woman said. 
Police who initially arrived on the scene were vastly outnumbered by the teens. The group started with a few dozen but eventually grew to more than 300 as word spread through social media.
“It’s terrifying,” said Grace Rohen, telling WGN that she also heard gunshots during the teen takeover. “It has been very chaotic and as somebody who’s lived in Lakeview for the past three years, it’s very scary to see how things have changed over time.”

Large Teen Gatherings Are Turning Violent In Chicago. The Mayor Is Upset They’re Being Labeled A ‘Mob.’

Large Teen Gatherings Are Turning Violent In Chicago. The Mayor Is Upset They're Being Labeled A 'Mob.'

Crime

Illinois

Police

Teenagers

The city of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> was rocked by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violence</a> over the holiday weekend as more than 40 people were wounded and 11 killed, the most deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memorial-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day</a> weekend in eight years. 
According <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/5/27/23739457/memorial-day-weekend-chicago-shootings-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to a tally</a> from the Chicago Sun-Times, at least 45 people were injured in shootings or stabbings, while another 11 were killed. Two of the violent incidents happened not far from the home of new Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/brandon-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Johnson</a>. 
A woman was found dead from stab wounds two blocks from the mayor’s home, while another individual was injured in a shooting in his West Side neighborhood, according to the Sun-Times. It was the most people killed since 2015, though not the most injured. 
Multiple police officers worked on their days off due to the expected increase in violence over the weekend. 
Homicide victims included a 33-year-old unidentified man who was shot in the armpit, 35-year-old William Hair who was shot in the chest, 22-year-old Johnathan Salgado, a 35-year-old man who was shot in the face while standing on a sidewalk, an unidentified woman killed in a drive-by shooting, a 26-year-old shot in the back, and a 35-year-old man shot in the head while in his car. 
The incidents took place throughout the city, including the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, the Little Village neighborhood, the Austin neighborhood, the Lake View neighborhood, West Garfield Park, and Woodlawn. 
Two non-fatal shooting incidents involved separate 2-year-olds. One involved a young girl accidentally injuring herself with a gun she found in the street, while the other involved a boy who was shot in the hand while playing in a bedroom. 
The deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicagos-endless-summer-violence-34-shot-8-dead-so-far-this-memorial-day-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weekend comes as</a> Mayor Johnson is rolling out a safety program that includes having more police on the ground, an increase in peace safety officers on hand to de-escalate situations, and programs for Chicago’s youth.
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“It’s going to take all of us, not just the police, not just city government, to ensure that our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson <a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/mayor-brandon-johnson-unveils-safety-plan-for-memorial-day-weekend/d9eee800-fa61-484f-ba05-d49b1416d49d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week. “However you decide to spend your holiday weekend in Chicago, your safety is my top priority.”
Chicago was not the only place that experienced excessive violence over the holiday weekend. Nine people <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-florida-beach-shooting-93dda56246a69d8913f35349c52d83c5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were injured</a> during a shooting at a beach in Hollywood, Florida. Those injured included children.

Generic police lights and crime scene tape

Chicago Rocked By Violence As At Least 11 Killed Over Memorial Day Weekend

Gun Violence

Memorial Day

A fight and a gunshot forced one of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-welcomes-new-leftist-mayor-with-vision-of-a-safer-and-more-equitable-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a>’s most popular summer spots to close just hours after opening for Memorial Day weekend. 
Up to 100 teenagers gathered at the North Avenue beach around 1:30 p.m. on Friday when a fight broke out and someone fired a gun, according to police, Fox 32 <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/police-activity-north-avenue-beach-chicago-memorial-day-weekend">reported</a>. Video of the incident showed the group of teens taunting each other before a single gunshot is heard and the crowd disperses.
No one was injured by the gunfire, and police took a 15-year-old boy and one other person into custody. Chicago’s beaches, which stretch along Lake Michigan, officially opened at 11 a.m. Friday for the summer. 
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Today, on the first day beaches were opened for the season in Chicago, a shooting takes place at the popular North Avenue Beach as about 80 to 100 teenagers gathered. <a href="https://t.co/tEJeSW0kNj">pic.twitter.com/tEJeSW0kNj</a>
&mdash; Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMarieOakes/status/1662218100627079169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The person who fired the weapon was observed,&#8221; Interim Chicago Police Department Supt. Fred Waller <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/north-avenue-beach-shot-fired/">said</a>. &#8220;He was taken into custody after a very, very short foot pursuit. Another subject in the same area was also observed running away with a weapon and he was taken into custody. Two weapons were recovered from him.&#8221;
Claire Nelson, who was at the beach with a group of friends from DePaul University, was only 200 feet away from the group of teenagers at the time of the fight and subsequent gunfire, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/north-avenue-beach-shot-fired/">reported</a>. 
&#8220;We were really close, actually. We were having fun, and then all of a sudden these people started fighting, and the police came out, and then we heard a gunshot, and we just ran away to safety,&#8221; Nelson said.
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The beach <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-beaches-north-avenue-beach-closed-shots-fired/13304202/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reopened</a> a few hours after the incident, and the 15-year-old was charged with two felonies: one count of aggravated assault discharge of a firearm and one count of criminal damage to property worth $500 to $10,000.
The city, led by its new leftist mayor Brandon Johnson, <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/midwest/chicago-peacekeeping-force-holiday-weekend/">prepared</a> for another weekend of potential violence by increasing police presence across the city and deploying 30 “peacekeepers” trained in de-escalation and conflict intervention. The Chicago PD also said it would be conducting bag checks of large gatherings at beaches. 
Last year in Chicago, nine people were killed and 40 were injured in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-weekend-starts-off-summer-in-chicago-with-at-least-five-dead">shootings</a> across the city over Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s going to take all of us not just the police, city government to ensure our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson said while discussing the city’s safety plan for the holiday weekend.

North Avenue Beach

Gunfire Forces Popular Chicago Beach To Close Hours After Opening For Holiday Weekend

Gunfire Forces Chicago Beach To Close Hours After Opening For Holiday Weekend

Shooting

Leftist allies of Chicago&#8217;s new Mayor Brandon Johnson have proposed a budget plan that would tax the rich and businesses, and would effectively defund police in a city already nearly crippled by crime.
The <a href="https://acrecampaigns.org/research_post/first-we-get-the-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget plan</a> was proposed by ACRE, the Action Center on Race and the Economy, in conjunction with the People&#8217;s Unity Platform and is titled &#8220;$12 Billion for a Just Chicago.&#8221; The first page begins with step one of the plan: &#8220;First we get the money.&#8221;
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The plan also calls for eliminating all current vacant positions at the Chicago Police Department AND cutting the CPD budget by 9%.
&mdash; Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBevanRCP/status/1658850985874190346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One of the plan&#8217;s authors, Saqib Bhatti, was a member of Johnson&#8217;s transition team.
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Big congratulations to ACRE&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/snbhatti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@snbhatti</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/FREEwrites_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FREEwrites_</a> for being named to two transition subcommittees for mayor-elect Brandon Johnson &amp; working toward a stronger, more equitable, safer Chicago. <a href="https://t.co/oZPZr0tUFI">https://t.co/oZPZr0tUFI</a>
&mdash; ACRE (@ACREcampaigns) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACREcampaigns/status/1653044102940819459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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ACRE touted the budget plan in a tweet claiming it would &#8220;reimagine everything in the city from policing to climate justice, housing &amp; more.&#8221;
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🚨🚨🚨 New report alert! 🚨🚨🚨
Learn how a moral budget for Chicago would reimagine everything in the city from policing to climate justice, housing &amp; more: <a href="https://t.co/o9Q4pWm11R">https://t.co/o9Q4pWm11R</a> <a href="https://t.co/fW7zCn0BS5">pic.twitter.com/fW7zCn0BS5</a>
&mdash; ACRE (@ACREcampaigns) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACREcampaigns/status/1658865069222944774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://acrecampaigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/First-We-Get-the-Money.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget plan</a> calls for $12 billion in new taxes — which would reportedly come in part from reducing the Chicago Police Department <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2023/01/02/sparing-residents-tax-hikes-months-election-chicago-s-2023-budget-takes-effect#:~:text=The%20Chicago%20Police%20Department%27s%20budget,a%20total%20of%20%241.94%20billion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget</a> ($1.94 billion in 2023) by 9%, or approximately $175 million. The city would also eliminate all current police department vacancies – which, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2022/8/31/23331411/cpd-chicago-police-vacancies-detectives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in August of 2022</a>, amounted to over 900 patrol officer vacancies and over 100 detective vacancies.
Corporations — or any business with at least 50 employees — would face a &#8220;head tax&#8221; of $33 per employee, which the report estimated would bring in $106 million in new revenue. Anyone making more than $100,000 would face an additional 3.5% income tax – totaling approximately $1.2 billion. The city&#8217;s top 10% of earners would also get hit with a .4% wealth tax – amounting to $960 million annually.
A real estate transfer tax on transactions of over $1 million — which the report states would generate $1.63 million in revenue — would be used to fund housing projects that the report claims would &#8220;eliminate homelessness.&#8221;
The plan also demanded that Chicago refuse to use any federal money to fund law enforcement or Wall Street interests, arguing that investing that money in public housing would contribute more to community safety.
The conclusion, according to ACRE, was that the city&#8217;s budget had to be approached from a morality standpoint – and that previous budgets had not done so to their satisfaction.
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&#8220;A city budget is a moral document. A moral budget should reflect residents’ priorities and needs. The challenges Black and Brown communities in Chicago are facing today are a direct reflection of the immoral budgets that mayors and alderpeople have imposed on residents for decades,&#8221; the report stated, claiming that Chicago&#8217;s policing system had always been &#8220;racist&#8221; and had not contributed to safer communities.

Brandon Johnson Is Sworn In As The 57th Mayor Of Chicago

‘First We Get The Money’: Chicago’s New Mayor Linked To Wild Budget Proposal That Attacks Businesses And Cops

Chicago's New Mayor Linked To Wild Budget Proposal That Attacks Businesses And Cops

Defund The Police

Economics

Lori Lightfoot

Politics

Taxes

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> is welcoming a new Democratic mayor, leftist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/brandon-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Johnson</a>, marking the beginning of a new administration that will contend with a city beset by crime.
Johnson, a former union organizer and teacher, was sworn in on Monday after running a successful campaign with a stated commitment to build a <a href="https://www.brandonforchicago.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;stronger, safer and more equitable&#8221; Chicago.</a>
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Progressive Brandon Johnson (D) has been inaugurated as mayor of Chicago after his upset win against moderate Paul Vallas last month. <a href="https://t.co/OdVeSE8ktk">pic.twitter.com/OdVeSE8ktk</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1658171792165335040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-chicago-mayoral-candidate-defeats-moderate-rival-will-succeed-lori-lightfoot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeated</a> moderate rival and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in April to succeed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lori-lightfoot-blames-racism-right-wing-forces-for-devastating-loss-in-chicago-i-leave-my-office-with-my-head-held-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incumbent Lori Lightfoot</a> after she was beaten in the February primary election.
Johnson managed to overcome criticism for his past support of the &#8220;defund the police&#8221; movement while touting a <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/clarence-page-mayor-elect-brandon-100000992.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;holistic&#8221; approach</a> to public safety.
That point of view will be tested as Chicago, the nation&#8217;s third-most populous city, continues to make national headlines for its violent crime. Seven people were killed and 20 others were wounded just this past weekend, <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-weekend-gun-violence-7-killed-5-teens-among-20-wounded/3141356/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to reports</a>.
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&#8220;Too many Chicagoans fear for their safety when they walk down the street to get groceries or drive to the gas station, because our city’s homicide and violent crime rates have consistently outpaced our peer cities,&#8221; Johnson said in <a href="https://twitter.com/Brandon4Chicago/status/1658157347959603201" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tweet thread</a> on Monday.
In that thread, Johnson also envisioned making the city &#8220;the economic marvel of our state, the Midwest, and this nation.&#8221; This, too, will present a challenge as there are significant disparities in economic opportunity from neighborhood to neighborhood, and particularly low levels of wealth among households with people of color, as shown in an Urban Institute <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/chicago-neighborhoods-have-stark-differences-economic-opportunity#:~:text=Chicago%20typifies%20wealth%20inequity%2C%20with,wealth%20of%20%241%2C500%20or%20less." target="_blank" rel="noopener">study released in 2022</a>.
Other priorities for the mayor, as seen listed on Johnson&#8217;s <a href="https://www.brandonforchicago.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaign website</a>, include affordable housing, &#8220;healthcare for all,&#8221; and fully-funded schools.
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The public got a taste of how Johnson will tackle public safety when he reacted to large crowds of rowdy teenagers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bedlam-as-hundreds-of-teenagers-inundate-downtown-chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flooding the streets</a> of downtown Chicago last month.
Johnson said he did not &#8220;condone the destructive activity&#8221; witnessed at that time, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-chicago-mayor-elect-after-teenagers-violent-rampage-through-city-dont-demonize-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">but stressed</a> that it &#8220;is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
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The mayor said he is already coordinating with Fred Waller, Chicago&#8217;s new interim police superintendent, to map out ways to quell violence in the city, <a href="https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/violence-in-chicago-a-high-priority-for-brandon-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to WBBM radio</a>.
“It’s something that I’ve been focusing on throughout my entire political career,” Johnson said. “I’m raising a family in Chicago. I think about the violence that happens in the city of Chicago on a daily basis.”
Johnson faces the major task of preparing the city to host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-choose-crime-ridden-city-for-2024-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 2024 Democratic National Convention</a>, which is set to be held August 19-22 and attract visitors from around the country.

Chicago Welcomes New Leftist Mayor With Vision Of A ‘Safer And More Equitable’ City

Chicago Welcomes New Mayor With Vision Of A 'Safer And More Equitable' City

Elections

After teenagers went on a violent rampage in downtown Chicago Saturday night in which two people were shot, leftist Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson said Sunday that people shouldn’t “demonize” the teenagers.
Over 100 teenagers participated in the violent activity, which included torching cars, engaging in a massive fight, and trying to breach police barricades. Two teenage boys, aged 16 and 17, were shot; 15 people were arrested.
But Johnson, the city’s mayor-elect, lectured critics of the teenagers, issuing a statement in which he said he did not “condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and the lakefront this weekend,” but then implied the teenagers’ behavior was not completely their fault, intoning, “However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
“Our city must work together to create spaces for youth to gather safely and responsibly, under adult guidance and supervision, to ensure that every part of our city remains both welcome for both residents and visitors,” he continued, saying it was part of his “comprehensive approach to improve public safety and make Chicago livable for everyone.”
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&mdash; Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brandon4Chicago/status/1647737808260583424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In total, 15 people were arrested, including nine adults and six children.
Johnson was slammed for his statement by critics.
“You couldn’t even make it through the first paragraph without excusing the rioters,” one declared.
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You couldn’t even make it through the first paragraph without excusing the rioters
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1647738064595288064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“They will get more of the unrest and looting since they are not being held responsible. It is the society’s fault, so individuals can do as pleased. Shame on the insanely Woke admin,” another added.
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They will get more of the unrest and looting since they are not being held responsible. It is the society’s fault, so individuals can do as pleased. Shame on the insanely Woke admin.
&mdash; SEGA L&#39;éveilleur® (@segalink) <a href="https://twitter.com/segalink/status/1647750607200047111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“Your soft hand position will lead to more crime and more death. You will bankrupt Chicago. Step aside. Citizens deserve to live in a safe city,” another echoed.
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Your soft hand position will lead to more crime and more death.
You will bankrupt Chicago. 
Step aside. Citizens deserve to live in a safe city.
&mdash; Jack Lombardi II (@JackLombardi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JackLombardi/status/1647801872055517185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Johnson, who served as Cook County Commissioner when he ran for mayor against Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, said on his campaign <a href="https://www.brandonforchicago.com/on-the-issues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> that he would “work with police and first responders to invest in community-based interventions that de-escalate conflict, reduce violence and make our neighborhoods safer.” Vallas promised on his <a href="https://www.paulvallas2023.com/publicsafety" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> that he would increase the number of sworn officers and considered public safety a “basic human right.”
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Vallas was endorsed by the Chicago Police Union, while Johnson was supported by the Chicago Teachers Union, which provoked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-can-cancel-school-until-june-and-ill-be-fine-chicago-teachers-union-forces-290000-children-out-of-normal-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticism</a> in the wake of government lockdowns for opposing the rollback of virtual instruction.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this article.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-chicago-mayoral-candidate-defeats-moderate-rival-will-succeed-lori-lightfoot">Leftist Chicago Mayoral Candidate Defeats Moderate Rival, Will Succeed Lori Lightfoot</a>

Chicago Mayoral Candidate Brandon Johnson Campaigns In Chicago

Leftist Chicago Mayor-Elect After Teenagers’ Violent Rampage Through City: Don’t ‘Demonize’ Them

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